The message flashed on Riku's screen like a pulse from the world itself:
Mission Accepted: S-Rank Rift Zone BreachConfirmed Team: Riku Hayashi, Toru Kurotaki, Yumi AoyamaThreat Classification: Unknown — Possible EX-Rank Essence Beasts
Riku locked his phone and headed out without hesitation.
Within the hour, Riku, Toru, and Yumi stood in front of a swirling, unstable Rift Zone—its surface cracked like shattered glass, pulsing with red and violet energy. The wind here was fierce. The Essence flow? Erratic.
"This is… wrong," Toru muttered, scanning the aura. "It doesn't feel like an S-Rank Rift. It's more than that."
Yumi held her arms tightly to her sides. "It's freezing in here…"
Riku noticed her shivering. Without saying much, he slipped off his sleek black jacket and handed it to her. "Here," he said. "Hold this for me."
She blinked, surprised. "Huh…? But won't you—"
"I'll be fine. Just stay warm." He smiled softly, then turned.
Yumi clutched the jacket tightly, her face flaring bright pink as she whispered to herself, "He gave me his jacket…"
The Rift distorted suddenly—and exploded open.
Five shadows emerged from the mists. Towering. Grotesque. Radiating pressure so intense that even the ground beneath them cracked.
Each one shimmered with different colored energy—one crimson, one cobalt blue, one obsidian black, one shimmering gold, and one a swirling white mist.
Toru's eyes widened. "These… These aren't just S-rank beasts. They're—"
"EX-Rank," Riku finished. "And not just one... Five of them."
The five beasts struck without warning. A wave of force flew toward them at blinding speed—
BOOM!!
Riku moved first, body pulsing with divine energy. He slammed his palms together—a barrier of light exploded outward, deflecting the impact just in time to protect them.
Yumi had instinctively clung to Riku's jacket, huddling behind him. "T-That was so fast... I couldn't even see it!"
"I did," Riku said, stepping forward. "Barely."
Toru cracked his knuckles, trying to stay calm. "Well… guess we're not walking out of this one without a real fight."
Riku's expression hardened. "I'll distract the two in front. Toru, keep the two flanking. Yumi, support us with healing and cover spells. We're not backing down."
Yumi took a deep breath and nodded, still clutching Riku's jacket around her. "Got it… Be careful."
Without hesitation, Riku summoned three knights and two clones, flanking himself on either side.
He shot forward.
The first EX Beast—a towering, armored red one with blazing horns—met Riku's charge. The impact cracked the sky. Riku's sword collided with its massive arm, the shockwave blowing apart the ground around them.
Behind him, Yumi raised both hands, summoning a glowing dome of restoration to cover Riku and Toru from a distance. Her hands trembled, but her heart was steady.
Toru, meanwhile, was holding off two beasts with sheer force and speed, gritting his teeth as he ducked under a golden tail swipe.
"This is insane! They're more like forces of nature than beasts!"
Riku's eyes flared. "Then it's time we show them what humans can do."
The battle was just beginning—and they were already close to their limits.
But none of them would back down.